Low-pressure steam-generator



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. L. RILEY. LOW PRESSURE STEAM GENERATOR. No. 581,492. Patented Apr.27-, 1897.

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J. L; RILEY. LOW PRESSURE STEAM GENERATOR.

No. 581,492. Patented Apr; 27, 1897.

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J. L. RILEY. LOW PRESSURE STEAM GENERATOR.

Patented Apr. 27, 1897.

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Patented Apr. 27, 1897.

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UNITED STATES FFICE.

ATENT LOW-PRESSURE STEAM-G EN ERATOR.

v SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 581 ,492, datedApri127, 1897.

Application filed November 28,1896. Serial No. 613,749. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES L. RILEY, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLow-Pressure Steam- Generators, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to the class of generators employed for thegeneration of steam under low pressure for circulation through heaterpipes, for the heating of buildings, and similar uses.

By reason of the great variations in area of buildings to be heated byapparatus of this character, and the consequent variation in sizes ofheaters required, it has been customary, to obviate the necessity forthe dealer to keep on hand the patterns and parts of the large number ofsizes of heaters required, to so construct generators of this class thatthey may be built up, so to speak, to any size, from a series ofsections, of which a suitable number are to be assembled to constitute agenerator capable of furnishing the required amount of steam.

My invention relates to sectional steam generators of the foregoinggeneral character, and its object is to provide a'sectional steamgenerator in which simplicity and inexpensiveness of construction arecombined with very great efficiency in operation.

In the accompanying drawings, I show and herein I describe a good formof a convenient embodiment of my invention, the particularsubject-matter claimed as novel being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of an apparatus embodying a goodform of my invention.

Figure 2 is a View in side elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 1,sight being supposed taken from the left hand side of said figure.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation, of theapparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2, section being supposed upon thedotted line ococ of Figure l, and sight being taken in the direction ofthe arrows applied to said line.

Figure 4: is a transverse vertical sectional elevation of my improvedapparatus, section being supposed on the dotted line y-'y of Figures2and 3, and sight being taken in the direction of the arrows applied tosaid line.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan of the lower portion of two adjacentgenerator shells, section being supposed on the dotted line z-z ofFigure 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the construction of sectional generators, as heretofore constructed,the sections have extended transversely of the generator, so thatincrease in the number of sections increased the distance from front torear of the generator and also occasioned a correspondin g increase inthe grate and fire surface area, without, however, increasing the fluearea.

In a properly constructed generator, the area of the grate and firesurface should, to insure the best results, bear a given portion to theflue area, and it is obvious that, in generators of the class referredto, the employment of a given fixed flue area, in connection with gratesurfaces of varying area, will result in the construction of generatorsin a large proportion of which the grate area and flue area aredisproportioned.

For this reason, the sectional generators constructed in the mannerstated, have not been so successful as to lead to their generaladoption.

Generally stated, my invention comprehends the provision of a steamgeneratorformed in sections, any desired number of which may be employedinthe building up of a generator, which sections extend from front torear, as opposed to from side to side, of the structure, with the resultthat increase or diminution of grate and fire surface, isattended by acorrespondingincrease or diminution of fine area, and accordingly thetheoretical proportions existing between these parts is maintainedregardless of variation in size of the assembled structures.

In my improved generator, I prefer to make the two end sections, whichextend, as do all the sections, from front to rear of the generator, ofa construction differing somewhat from that of the intermediatesections, which last named sections are all counterparts of each other.

In my improved generator, each section is formed of a water shell orsection, and a grate section, the aggregate of the water shells formingthe generator proper, and the aggregate of the grate sections formingthe grate surface, the ash pit, and the support for the water shells, asshown in the drawings.

The outer water shells or sections, designated A and B, are reverselydisposed counterparts of each other, being each a hollow shell,imperforate except for the openings hereinafter described, and eachformed with its hollow interior continuous from top to bottom, and fromend to end, the exterior walls of said sections being flat or ofornamental construction, and the inner faces or walls of said sectionsbeing, as to their upper portions, formed into or with lateraltransverse abutments a, a a and 1), b b and being as to their rearportions formed with lateral vertically extending abutments O and as totheir front portions formed with similar vertically extending abutments.

The crests of all abutments are flush with each other.

These sections A and B rest as to their lower ends upon the gratesections A B as shown, and, extending upward to any desired height, formthe side inclosing walls of the combustion chamber.

1) D are intermediate sections, of which one or any desired number mayof course be employed in a given generator, according to the size ofgenerator desired to be used, all of which intermediate sections aremounted between the end sections, are of general arciform profile whenviewed from the side, and are each provided with plane faced lateralabutments, designated F F and F extending respectively along their upperportions and down their front and rear portions, which abutments whenthe parts are assembled, make contact with the corresponding abutmentsof the other intermediate sections, or the faces of the correspondingabutments of the end sections, as the case may be, with the result thatwhen the sections are assembled, a combustion chamber is formed by thewater shells or sections, the sides of which are constituted by the endshells or sections A B, and the rear, top, and front walls of which areconstituted by the arciform intermediate sections.

Each of the intermediate arciform water shells or sections is preferablyprovided with aseries,-three being shown,-of water tubes (1, (2, dextending from its front leg to its rear leg, said water tubes openingas shown into both said legs, and being disposed in a vertical series.

The tube (1 is shown as of uniform dimensions from end to end.

The tube (Z is provided with lateral abutments (Z one on each side,being branches,

tendin lateral abutment F and extendin C: J C

along said tube to a point in the vicinity of the rear leg of thesection.

When the parts are assembled the abutments cl of adjacent intermediatesections or shells are brought into close contact with each other, or,if next to the end sections or shells, with the abutments (fi -while theabutments (Z are similarlybrought into close contact with each other,or, if next to the end sections or shells, with the abutments a", asshown in Figure 4.

The lateral abutments (Z d of the water tubes (Z (Z serve, as will beobvious, to form a tortuous or sinuous path for the flame and productsof combustion of the fire in the combustion chamber, with the resultthat the water contained in the shells or sections very thoroughlyabsorbs and utilizes the heat present in the products of combustionbefore the escape of the latter from the generator,-said products beingcompelled, as shown by the arrows in Figure 3, to pass rearwardly beyondthe ends of the abutments (Z and then forwardly beyond the ends of theabutments (1*,

before they are permitted to pass along the under faces of the upperportions of the sections and escape through the smoke holes G.

The rear vertically extending abutments C of the end sections orshells,--and the rear vertically extending abutments F of theintermediate shells, each embody a transverse channel G, which channels,when the shells or sections are assembled, register with each other, andform a series of openings, orsmoke holes, each existing between twoshells or sections and formed partly in each.

Each smoke hole may discharge into a separate flue II, or all maydischarge into a common flue extending transversely of the structure, asthe constructor may desire.

I have shown the water tubes (1, at, 1 as slightly inclined upwardlyfrom the rear to the front of the generator, this being to afford thegreatest freedom for the ascent of the hotter water in the shells to theupper portion of the latter and to afford free circulation for thewater.

By forming the abutments cZ d of the water tubes at d at the upperportions of the latter, said tubes, in section, as shown in Figure 4-,approximate equilateral triangles in outline, or, as it may be moredefinitely expressed, the lower portions of said tubes, in section, havethe outline of a double ogee, with the result that not only is themaximum area of said pipes exposed to the flames beneath them, so thatthe contained water is very quickly heated, but also the upper portionsof said tubes, which serve to catch and retain a large amount of thesoot, being fiat, enable the very easy and expeditious removal of saidsoot.

The front vertical abutments of the end sections or shells, and theabutments F of the intermediate sections or shells, each embody atransversely extending recess or depression, E, which recesses, when theshells or sections are assembled, constitute a series of soot openings,one situated between each pair of sections.

The assembled sections are placed in communication with each other, byseries of slip nipples I, J, the nipples I being located in the lowerrear portions of the shells or sections, below the water line, wherebythe water is maintained at a uniform level in all the sections, and thenipple J being located in the upper portions of the shells or sectionsabove the water line, whereby the steam circulates from one shell orsection to another and exists ata uniform pressure in all.

K, Figure 4, is a steam or circulating pipe leading from an intermediatesection,-and K is a branch of said pipe leading from an adjacentintermediate section. One steam pipe is of course all that is necessaryso far as the working of the generator is concerned.

L, Figure 1, is a pipe leading into the lower end of a shell or section,through which the condensate of the generated steam is returned to thegenerator. This pipe may of course be placed in communication with asource of water supply.

M Figures 1 and 2, is a gage or indicator. The generator is of course tobe supplied with any preferred pressure gages, dampers, and likeauxiliary devices.

The front portion of the generator chamberis covered by a plate, N,Figures 1, 2, and 3, of suitable size to extend over the parts of allthe shells or sections employed, and secured thereto in any desiredmanner.

The plate N of course embodies a door at through which access may be hadto the soot openings E,and a fire door N provided with the usual damper.

O are tie bars extending through the series of shells and serving tolock them securely together, said tie bar extending through the bores ofthe slip nipples and'to the exterior of the end sections or shells, andbeing equipped with the usual heads, nuts, or enlargements O P, Figures3 and 5, are a series of vertical abutments extending down the frontopposing edges of the rearlegs of the intermediate shells or sections,and down the inner faces of the end shells or sections, and extendingfrom the level of the grate to a point in the vicinity of the lowerwatertube.

These abutments, when the sections or shells are assembled constitute,in effect a bridge wall over the upper ends of which the smoke andproducts of combustion must pass, and behind which are formed thechannels Q, through which soot and similar refuse matter may pass downtoa soot receptacle or chamber into which said channelsdischarge.

The lower part of the generator is composed of a series of gratesections, the end sections A B of which (upon which as stated, rest theend water shells or sections A B),being formed as reverse counterpartsof each other and embodying each a side wall extending from the front tothe rear of the generator,and the intermediate sections beingcounterparts of each other corresponding in number to the number ofwater sections or shells employed and being mounted or'disposed betweensaid end sections.

The end sections A B and the intermediate sections R are each providedwith a rear wall S, an intermediate vertical supporting wall S, and asecond intermediate vertical wall S which rear wall and intermediatewalls of the several sections register with each other when the gratesections are assembled in position,and constitute, first, an ash-pit orreceptacle T, between the wall S and the front of the sections, and,second, asootchamber T between the wall S and the wall S The space T ismerely an idle space between the rear wall S and the supporting wall S.

t, Figure 2, is a door in the end grate section A opening into the sootchamber, through which the soot may be removed.

A cover plate S extends from the top of the wall S to the top of thewall S of each intermediate section, and upon these cover plates restthe rear legs of the intermediate water shells or sections, said coverplate being, in the end sections A B extended to the front end ofthe-generator to afford support for the end water shells or sections A,B, as shown.

The cover plates S embody openings in registry with the openings Q topermit the descent of soot to the soot chamber.

Each of the intermediate grate sections is shown as equipped with aplurality of grate bars of any ordinary and convenient type, and the endsections A BX are shown as each provided with one bar, said grate bars,which are designated U, being shown as each equipped in the region ofits front end with a gear wheel to, and the front end of each grate bar,which ends protrude through the front of the generator, being shown assquared to receive a shaker U being a device in the nature of a wrenchby which the end of a grate bar may be engaged and manually rotated.

By means of the gear wheels to the grate bars are geared together inseries of three, so that rotation of any one of said grate bars willoccasion the simultaneous rotation-of the two other grate bars in thegroup of grate bars of which it is a member.

The front of the ash-pit is shown as composed of a plate W embodying anopening, covered and inclosed by the usual door or cover it).

I prefer to provide my improved generator with an auxiliary waterheating device which IIO may be used to heat water which may besubsequently fed into the water shells or sections, or on the other handwithdrawn for use in domestic or other purposes according to thecharacter and arrangement of the pipe connections with which it may beequipped.

Each of the end sections or shells A Bis equipped at its front edge witha forwardlyextending hollow boss or chamber a b in communication withthe hollow interiors of said shells or sections and adapted to extendthrough openings of suitable shape formed in the lower portion of thefront plate N.

V, Figure 3, are a series of auxiliary water chambers, corresponding innumber to the number of intermediate sections or shells employed, eachconsisting conveniently of a 1101- low body or box adapted to existwithin the front portion of the combustion chamberand formed of suchshape as may be required by the shape and position of its supportingdevice, and each provided with a forwardly-extending hollow boss orprojection '11 adapted to extend through an opening of suitablecharacter formed in the lower portion of the front plate N of thegenerator.

When the parts are assembled, the hollow bosses or projections a b andi; will be in line with each other as shown in Figure 1, and may beplaced in communication with each other by a series of nipples or tubesa as shown.

As will be understood, the waterin the end sections A B circulates intothe projections or hollow bosses a b and from them to and through theseries of auxiliary water chambers V.

As will be further understood,the water circulating through theseauxiliary water heat ing devices will be subjected to a very high degreeof heat because of the immediate contact of the auxiliary heater withthe incandescent mass in the grate, and water thus heated, flowing intoor circulating through the bodies of the shells or sections, serves tovery considerably increase the efficiency of the heater as a whole.

X, Figure 3, is a block or casting extending transversely of the frontof the generator, resting as to its under edge upon the upper front edgeof the grate sections, and provided with a rearwardly extending plate,00, which serves both as a support for the bodies of the auxiliary waterheaters and as a protection for the gear wheels of the grate bars.

X is a block or casting extending transversely of the generator and.mounted in the rear portion of the combustion chamber, being supportedin a suitable recess formed for it in the upper portion of the wall SThis block or casting X receives the ends of the rotatable grate bars,and is provided with a forwardly-extending plate or lid 3: which tendsto protect the rear bearings of the grate bars from the heat of theburning mass and from ashes and cinders.

When it is desired to employ the auxiliary heater as a device forproviding hot water to be withdrawn for domestic purposes, a block orcap may be inserted in the tubes which connect the hollow bosses orprojections a b with the boxes or projections o and the hollow bosses ortheir connections be thereupon connected with any suitable source ofwater supply and also, of course, provided with an outlet or escapepipe.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. A steam generator consisting of a grate, and a series of Water shellsor sections sup ported over said grate and extending from front to rearthereof, abutments, formed on the inner faces of the end shells orsections, and extending along the top and down the front and rear endsof the same, corresponding abutments formed on both faces of theintermediate shells or sections, means for securing the sectionstogether, and means for placing them all incommunication,--substantially as set forth.

2. A steam generator consisting of a grate and a series of water shellsor sections supported over said grate, the end shells or sections beingformed as hollow walls and the intermediate sections being of arciformoutline, abutments formed 011 the inner faces of the end shells orsections and extending along the top and down the rear ends of the same,corresponding abutments formed on both faces of the intermediate shellsor sections, recesses formed in the abutments which extend down the rearportions of the sections, which recesses register with each other whenthe sections are assembled, and form a smoke hole between each pair ofsections, means for securing the sections together, and means forplacing them in com- 1nunication,substantially as set forth.

3. A steam generator consisting of a grate and a series of water shellsor sections supported over said grate and extending from front to rearthereof, the end shells or sections being formed as hollow walls ofgeneral rectangular outline, and theintermediate sections being ofarciform outline abutments formed on the inner faces of the end shellsor sections and extending along the top and down the front and rear endsof the same, corresponding abutments formed on both faces of theintermediate shells orsections, recesses formed in the abutments whichextend down the front portions of the sections, which recesses registerwith each other when the sections are assembled and form a soot openingbetween each pair of sections, means for securing the sections together,and means for placing them in communication,-substantially as set forth.

4. A steam generator consisting of a grate and a series of Water shellsor sections supported over said grate, the end shells or sections beingformed as hollow walls and the intermediate sections being of arciformoutline, Water tubes extending from one leg to the other of each of theintermediate sections, said tubes being of greatest breadth at theirupper portions, their upper Walls being approximately flat, and theoutline of their lower portions being approximately that of double ogeecurves, whereby the maximum amount of tube surface isexposed to the heatof the fire beneath, and means for securing the several shells togetherand placing them in communication with each other,substantially as setforth.

5. A steam generator consisting of a grate and a series of water shellsor sections supported over said grate, the end shells or sections beingformed as hollow walls and the intermediate sections being of arciformoutline, inclined water tubes extending from one leg to the other ofeach of the intermediate sections, said tubes being of greatest breadthat their upper portions, their upper walls be ing approximately flat,and the outline of their lower portions approximating that of doubleogee curves, whereby the maximum amount of tube surface is exposed tothe heat of the fire beneath, and means for securing the several shellstogether and placing them in communication with each other,substantially as set forth.

6. A steam generator consisting of a grate and a series of water shellsor sections supported over said grate, the end shells or sections beingformed as hollow walls and the intermediate sections being of arciformoutline, water tubes extending from one leg to the other of each of theintermediate sections,

said adjacent tubes beingin contact with each other for a portion oftheir length, means for securing the several shells together, and meansfor placing them in communication with each other,substantially as setforth. 7. A steam generator consisting of a series of water shells orsections adapted to be supported over a grate and to extend from frontto rear thereof, the end shells or sections being formed as hollow wallsof substantially rectangular outline, and the intermediate shells orsections being of general arciform outline in profile, and means forsecuring the sections together and placing their interiors incommunication,substantially as set forth.

8. A steam generator consisting of a grate, and a series of water shellsor sections supported over said grate and extending from front to rearthereof, the end shells or sections being formed as hollow walls, andthe intermediate shells or sections being of arciform outline, abutmentsformed on the inner faces of the end shells or sections andcorresponding abutments formed on the intermediate shells or sections,and means for securing the sections together and placing them incommunication,substantially as set forth. In testimony that I claim theforegoing as my invention I have hereunto signed my name this 20th dayof November, A. D. 1896.

JAS. L. RILEY.

In presence of- J. BONSALL TAYLOR, F. NORMAN DIXON.

